Courtroom full of emotion as video of Fountain Police Officer falling to his death shown in court
EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -- On Day 1 of the murder trial against Devon Bobian, the man accused of murdering Fountain Police Officer Julian Becerra, the courtroom was filled with emotion as body-worn-camera video was shown of the moments Becerra fell to his death.
On Feb. 2, 2023, K9 Officer Becerra was one of many officers chasing three suspects in a stolen blue sedan. The chase took them from southeast Colorado Springs, into Fountain, onto both sides of I-25, and then onto South Academy Blvd. Investigators state the suspects were driving recklessly and drove the wrong way down lanes at several points during the pursuit.
The chase eventually led officers to a Love's Travel Center in Fountain. According to the new arrest affidavit, the three suspects were seen near a silver Toyota 4Runner in the parking lot. The owner of the Toyota told investigators she was about to pump gas when one of the suspects approached her, flashed a gun at her, and demanded her keys and to empty her pockets.
RELATED: Affidavit details moment when Fountain Police Officer fell from bridge during pursuit
The suspect who was driving the vehicle, Devon Bobian, is accused of flashing that gun at Mary Palmer, who testified Tuesday that she was in fear of being kidnapped that night as she, and her partner, were traveling to Arizona.
Security camera video from the Loves was played in court and it shows the blue sedan entering the parking lot before leaving minutes later at a high rate of speed as Fountain PD officers arrived at the gas station.
Minutes later, that stolen sedan was intercepted by Fountain PD officers on top of a bridge along South Academy Blvd.
In court Tuesday, body-camera video of a Fountain police detective was shown. He was one of the officers chasing the stolen car. The video shows a person who the prosecution claims is Devon Bobian exit the car, jump on top of the roof of the stolen car, and then onto Officer Becerra's car before being taken down seconds later.
During that exchange, Officer Becerra fell backward off of the bridge, a distance investigators estimate was some 30-40 feet from the ground. Multiple Fountain PD officers realized moments after arresting Bobian that Becerra had fallen from the bridge.
The large presence of Fountain PD personnel and members of the community in the courtroom became visibility emotional as Fountain Detective Aliva sprinted from atop the bridge to below the bridge to get to where Officer Becerra had fallen.
When he arrived, Becerra was unresponsive to their calls to him. When medical personnel arrived, they said there was blood coming from his neck and that he was not conscious. Days later, Officer Becerra passed away in the hospital from injuries sustained in the fall.
"Law enforcement becomes a family. These are your brothers and sisters that you go out and do this very difficult and dangerous job every single day. When one of your brothers or sisters is tragically killed, it has an impact on any and all departments, big or small," former Denver Police Chief Paul Pazen said.
Pazen knows what it feels like to lose a fellow law enforcement officer in the line of duty. He says, while a conviction won't bring Officer Becerra back, he knows it will bring justice to his colleagues, friends, and family members.
"Hopefully justice will come to Becerra's family and his law enforcement family so that this individual is held accountable and hopefully will help heal those wounds," Pazen said.
Bobian is facing charges of murder in the second degree (F3), aggravated robbery (F3), vehicular eluding (F5), criminal attempt (aggravated robbery) (F4), possession of weapons by previous offenders (F5), and aggravated motor vehicle theft (F4).
